A LATE, late breakfast or brunch is one of the treats of a holiday weekend. Chef Simon Rimmer, who hosts BBC Two's Something For The Weekend, and his co-host, Tim Lovejoy, pick out their favourite recipes for a mid-morning feast from their new book, Lazy Brunch.

By Gabrielle Fagan

ENJOYING a late brunch has to be one of the biggest treats of a holiday weekend or break.

There's something luxurious about savouring a leisurely feast, rather than grabbing toast and coffee "on the run".

Simon Rimmer hails brunches as "the ultimate solution to the hangover from hell, a great meal for when you're entertaining someone special or have the family coming over - and so much more chilled and relaxing than throwing a dinner party."

He's such a fan that he and fellow presenter, Tim Lovejoy - whom Simon taught to cook during the TV series - have collected their top 60 recipes into a new book, Lazy Brunch.

Simon says: "One of the best things about Something For The Weekend is how much feedback I get from the public on the recipes. It seems lazy brunch is what people need on their days off - and all they need are simple recipes that motivate them to get into the kitchen to start cooking and make something to fill them up and feel good."

The book has down-to-earth practical sections, which could inspire blokes to start cooking or improve their skills. Dishes are designed to suit different occasions, like "Beers with the Boys", or the more intimate "Treating Your Girlfriend", as well as "Food to Share" and "Dishes to Impress". There are also recipes for family occasions in a section called "Having the Olds Round for Brunch".

The programme's most successful recipe is included - Scotch Eggs - as well as a mouth-watering variety of others, such as American Pancakes with Bacon, Prawn Dim Sum, Chicken Kiev or a Coronation Chicken Salad.

Simon says: "All the recipes are straightforward and tasty. There's no fancy techniques, just good, honest food. And for those who are familiar with cooking, there are some new recipe ideas to try out which could dazzle diners."

So when breakfast isn't enough but it's too early for lunch why not cook up a couple of treats?

Simon suggests his recipe for New York Smoked Salmon Hash as "the perfect Sunday Brunch - gorgeous smoked salmon with spuds and lots of other goodies - it's impossible not to have seconds", or try the spicy Breakfast Burritos.

Lazy Brunch, by Tim Lovejoy and Simon Rimmer, is published by Quadrille, priced £14.99. Available now

NEW YORK SMOKED SALMON HASH

(Serves Two)

For the smoked salmon hash:

300g new potatoes

30g unsalted butter

1/2 small onion, finely sliced

1tbsp chopped dill

1tsp capers

75-100g smoked salmon, finely sliced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 rashers good quality, dry-cured smoked back bacon

2 free-range eggs

For the dressing:

1/2tbsp Dijon mustard

25ml white wine vinegar

Juice of 1/2 lemon

100ml extra virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cook the potatoes in a large pan of cold salted water for 10-12 minutes until tender. Drain. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the onion for 4-5 minutes, until soft.

Add the spuds to the onions and fry until they begin to soften and break down.

Add the dill, capers and smoked salmon and season well with the salt and pepper. Stir to combine and cook until the salmon has turned pale pink.

Preheat the grill and then grill the bacon until it is crispy. Heat a pan of water over a medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and gently break an egg into the water. Cook for five minutes or until the white is firm. Carefully remove the egg with a slotted spoon, set aside and cover to keep warm while you poach the remaining egg.

Divide the potato mixture between two plates. Place two rashers of bacon alongside and a poached egg on top of the potato. Top with a little of the dressing.

The dressing: Place the mustard, vinegar, oil and lemon juice in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Whisk together to form a smooth vinaigrette. (If you don't use it all, this dressing keeps well in a screw-top jar in the fridge).

Serve the salmon hash with a little black pepper on top.

BREAKFAST BURRITOS

Simon says; "Feel free to add bacon, sausages, mushrooms or even black pudding to this - just don't forget the Hot Pepper sauce."

(Serves 4)

2 red peppers, quartered, seeded

4 free-range eggs

4tbsp milk

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1tbsp butter

6 pepperdew peppers, finely chopped

Handful baby spinach

1tbsp olive oil

Squeeze of lemon juice

4 soft corn or flour tortillas

75g mature cheddar, grated

Jamaican Hot Pepper Sauce - £1.60 for 85ml, from supermarkets or www.britishfooddirect.com

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas mark 6. Cook the red peppers for about 15 minutes, until they have softened. Meanwhile, place the eggs and milk in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper and whisk together until combined.

In a non-stick frying pan melt the butter. When it begins to foam add the egg mixture. Without stirring, cook the eggs until they are just beginning to set. When they have set, push the egg gently towards the centre of the pan with a spatula.

Continue to do this until the egg mixture has set, then flip the mixture over and remove from the heat.

Remove the peppers from the oven and place in a polythene bag for a few minutes to soften the skins.

Place the pepperdew peppers and spinach in a bowl and mix together well with the oil, lemon juice, 1-2 tablespoons of Hot Pepper Sauce and a little salt and pepper.

Peel and chop the roasted peppers and add to the spinach mix. Warm the tortillas according to the packet instructions.

Place a warmed tortilla on each plate. Line the edge of each tortilla with some cheese and top with the spinach and pepper mixture. Add a couple of spoonfuls of the eggs and roll up the tortilla tightly.

Top Tip: If you find the scrambled eggs are cooking too quickly, remove the pan from the heat and move the eggs into the centre of the pan, so that they cook from the outside in.

Cherries will soon be in the shops but de-stoning to use them in recipes can be a messy business. Make it less of a chore with a new gadget, OXO's Cherry/Olive Pitter, £9.

It's easy to use and has a splatter shield. The OXO Good Grips range is available in shops and online including Lakeland, John Lewis, Selfridges, House of Fraser, Professional Cookware, and Amazon. Call 0114 290 1455 for more info.

LIQUID NEWS

We're all getting hooked on smoothies - perhaps because it's such an easy way to get that essential helping of fruit and vegetables.

Sales surged by a third over the last year, with shoppers spending £214 million on the healthy drinks that are often a top choice for breakfast.

One concentrated smoothie is Acai Gold 100 per cent Pure, an organic, additive-free juice, which boasts that its Brazilian acai berries have anti-oxidants to help fight health problems, such high cholesterol, macular degeneration and varicose veins.

Try a smoothie recipe using the drink - La Viva Acai - created by nutritionist, Dr Carrie Ruxton.

Use 50ml guava juice, 5ml ginger syrup, half a banana, blended, five strawberries, blended, and 30ml Acai Gold 100 per cent Pure.

Acai Gold 100 per cent Pure costs £24.95 for 473ml bottle (enough for around 15 x 30ml drinks) and is available through www.superfooduk.com As the peak wedding season approaches - May through to September - the hunt will be on for "hen" weekend activities. Wine lovers could enjoy the chance to sniff, gargle and spit like a professional on a wine-tasting day.

Vinopolis in London offers a specially tailored package for a bride-to-be and anything up to 10 friends from £25 per person. It includes a private lesson from one of the wine experts and the Vinopolis Wine tour - a test of your tasting skills by sampling wines from around the world - and the essential, plenty of time to swig and chat! Call 0870 241 4040/www.vinopolis.co.uk If you resent paying for bottled water or your eco-friendly principles are offended by the use of all those plastic bottles, a new MySpa filter from Rangemaster could be the answer.

It attaches to any tap, can be hidden under a sink, removes additives and impurities and claims to provide cleaner, better tasting water at the flick of a switch.

The filter isn't difficult to install and Rangemaster notifies you when it needs replacing. Call 0870 755 6485/www.rangemaster.co.uk.